This invention relates to a ski boot having an elastically inclinable forward leg portion.
Ski boots are well known which have joined leg and foot portions. A drawback of such boots is that the leg portion affords only a limited range of flexure of the skier's leg, and a slow elastic return to the natural position in the following stage of extension.
In order to eliminate this difficulty, it has been proposed in the prior art that the foot portion near its back be connected to the leg portion through variable strength spring devices or absorbers with rubber caps.
However, this solution presents other difficulties, in particular:
lack of reliability in both stages of flexure and extension; PA1 high cost, not only due to the presence of these additional devices, but also to the difficulty in mounting them; and PA1 difficult replacement in case of breakage.
All of these drawbacks are eliminated in the present invention for a ski boot having an elastically inclinable forward leg portion characterized in that it comprises at the front a stiffening element shaped according to the vertical profile of the ski boot, and joined to this in correspondence of a least one strip, said element being formed by an elasitically pliable elongated member, joined to the boot, and by an elongated interchangeable insert for the stiffening element having greater stiffness.
Advantageously, the stiffening element can be joined near its lower end to the boot by a fixed connector and can be provided at its upper end with a hook or clip engaging in a cooperating slit in the upper edge of the boot or in its tongue.
The elastically pliable portion of the stiffening element can have a longitudinal groove for housing the interchangeable insert element, and the insert element and groove have a complementary cross sectional shape to promote snapping engagement.
The present invention can be further understood with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application.